Arthralgia (Joint Pain): Causes and Solutions

If your joints are aching and sore, or if you're experiencing tenderness, swelling, or stiffness in or around a joint, you have what is called arthralgia — joint pain. Arthralgia can have many causes, including injury, underlying disease, or even allergic reactions or food intolerances.

Arthralgia or Arthritis?

Arthralgia is made up of two Greek words, arthro (joint) and algos (pain). It literally means joint pain, and can refer to any type of pain in the joints. However, for clarification purposes, the United States National Library of Medicine has determined that the term "arthralgia" should be used only to describe joint pain not caused by inflammatory diseases like arthritis.

In spite of this classification, many doctors still use the word "arthralgia" to refer to any type of joint pain.

If a doctor tells you you're suffering from arthralgia, be sure to ask about the underlying cause. You may not have osteoarthritis. Rather, a different underlying condition could be causing your painful joints.

joint pain (arthralgia) symptoms

If you're considering seeing a doctor, you are probably experiencing some symptoms like the following:

mild ache or soreness

severe or excruciating pain

inability to use the limb to walk or carry objects

limited joint motion

locking of the joint

stiffness

swelling (inflammation)

tenderness

warmth around the joint

weakness

You may find you have symptoms only after taking part in particular activities, like exercising. Conversely, your symptoms may appear for no reason.

Joint pain can be intermittent and gradual, or it can be sudden.

Pain may go away after resting or taking an over-the-counter medication, or it may not respond to pain relievers at all.

Joint pain can fit any of these criteria.

What causes joint pain?

Arthralgia can be caused by injury to ligaments, tendons, or bursae (fluid sacs) around the joints. Pain can also be a sign of inflammation, infection, or an allergic response. Less commonly, pain can be a symptom of cancer or disease.

Conditions that can cause arthralgia

Arthralgia can have many different underlying causes. Some of these can be urgent and may require immediate or urgent care in the form of antibiotics (or other medications) or surgery.

Conditions that may include joint pain as a symptom include:

allergic reactions to medications or foods

arthritis, including gonoccocal arthritis (caused by gonorrhea); osteoarthritis; pseudogout (characterized by sudden, painful swelling); psoriatic arthritis (which can accompany the skin condition psoriasis); reactive arthritis (swelling and pain triggered by an infection elsewhere in the body); septic arthritis (a painful infection that traveled to the joint through the bloodstream)

bone disease or bone infection, including avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis(the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply); osteomyelitis (bone infection); Paget's disease of bone (affecting the pelvis, skull, spine, or legs); facet joint disorders (affecting the cervical or lumbar spine); and Rickets (a softening and weakening of bones in children, usually due to a severe vitamin D deficiency).

cancer (bone cancer or leukemia)

complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic pain condition that can occur after an injury, surgery, stroke, or heart attack (usually affecting an arm or leg)

dehydration, from illness or from excessive alcohol consumption

depression

diabetes

food intolerances, such asgluten intolerance

gout (a form of arthritis, common in the base of the big toe)

hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism

infections, like Lyme disease (a tick-borne bacterial infection)

inflammatory diseases like ankylosing spondylitis (fusion of the vertebrae), Adult Still's disease (often affecting wrists), or polymyalgia rheumatica (causing muscle pain and stiffness, most often in the shoulders)

injury from overuse, like bursitis or tendinitis (sometimes caused by sports injuries), or from trauma, like a dislocation, fracture, sprain, or strain

Solutions: How to Treat Joint Pain

What are your options for relieving joint pain?

Usually, treatment will focus on addressing on the primary, underlying cause of your pain. If your arthralgia continues after treatment of your condition, a plan for ongoing pain management may be necessary. Some patients may get some relief of pain from the following:

Diet, Nutrition, and Natural Remedies

dietary or herbal supplements

natural/home remedies like essential oils or fish oils (omega 3)

vitamins

Exercises/Physical Therapy

Exercises, physical therapy (including aquatic therapy), and sports medicine are pain management techniques that may help relieve arthralgia. They will not fix underlying conditions, but they can improve your mobility, stiffness, and soreness.

Medication

Depending on your diagnosis, you may be advised (or prescribed):

antibiotics (for infection)

antivirals (for viruses)

corticosteroids like prednisone (for rheumatological diseases)

immunosuppressants (for immune system dysfunction)

pain relievers: over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription

topicals like capsaicin (a substance found in chili peppers, known to help block pain) or arthritis cream (like Bengay)

Alternately, discontinuing medication may the best way to treat your symptoms, if your joint pain is caused by an allergic reaction.

Surgery: Arthroscopy or Joint Replacement

For severely damaged joints, your doctor may refer you to an orthopedic surgeon.

Although surgery is a last resort for many people, minimally invasive techniques have made it safer and more popular than it was in the past. Each year, over one million Americans have a hip or knee replaced, and an estimated 80% of orthopedic surgeons practice routine arthroscopic surgery on patients.

If you think it may be time to consider surgery, give Coastal Orthopedics located in Corpus Christi, TX a call and ask for a consultation. Our orthopedic specialists can assess your injury and discuss whether joint replacement or other procedures may be options for you. Telephone: 361.994.1166.